Question for the PA Guys/Girls

[Protephile]

Are any of you running the OBX header?
Have you been able to pass Emissions testing with it on, or are you swapping out the header with the stock one at inspection time?
I'd like to get the OBX, esp. with all the problems everyone's been having with Wagner these days but I really don't wanna go through the PITA swap every
June...
Your input and ideas are appreciated.

 

[blackandbluepro]

I have the OBX header, but my inspection is not until November.

 

[Protephile]

I have the OBX header, but my inspection is not until November.

That helps, lol.
What are you planning to do about it? Hope it passes or swap?

 

[Protephile]

Bump!

 

[blackandbluepro]

Im gonna hope it passes. The main cat is still on the car though.

 

[BradC]

IIRC from our discussion, Rush had one highflow cat and failed a visual b/c the car came w/two stockers. I thought this sounded like BS and the mechanic was just being a dick, but it seemed to be the way it worked for her.

 

[Protephile]

My thread got dumped into the regional section?--no one's gonna read it here... (ugh)

 

[BradC]

Bump for ya then man!

Are you in MTMA man? You should be.

MTMA

We have a great time, fun runs, bbq's, dave & busters (beer and parking garage antics!!)

 

[Protephile]

Thx, I'll check out the site.

 

[Rush]

IIRC from our discussion, Rush had one highflow cat and failed a visual b/c the car came w/two stockers. I thought this sounded like BS and the mechanic was just being a dick, but it seemed to be the way it worked for her.

That's cause the people at that Mazda dealership are fucktards. They wouldn't pass me for a few reasons, and most of them were crap.

I did wind up passing eventually, when I took my car to a little-ish mechanic's shop near my house in Philly. If you wanna try to pass with anything iffy on your car, I advise to go to a small inspection place -- they're a lot less likely to give a crap about little things than well-known and busy locations.

 

[BradC]

That's cause the people at that Mazda dealership are fucktards. They wouldn't pass me for a few reasons, and most of them were crap.

I did wind up passing eventually, when I took my car to a little-ish mechanic's shop near my house in Philly. If you wanna try to pass with anything iffy on your car, I advise to go to a small inspection place -- they're a lot less likely to give a crap about little things than well-known and busy locations.

Well, straight from the horses mouth. I guess that dealer was just being dicks. I thought that sounded fishy

 

[iluvmacs]

What's the penalty for expired inspection stickers? I figure it's cheaper just to pay the fine on the rare occasion that you get pulled over.

 

[Protephile]

Hah, I can't remember. It's been several years since that happened to me.
iluvmacs, I thought you were gone from this forum. Don't you have
the OBX header? Is that what you're doing, running an expired sticker? Lol, I'll have tell my Monroeville cop neighbor about you.
As for the small shop idea, that's pretty good, the guy I've been going to for years, I swear he doesn't check anything but the brakes, tires and lights and that's good enough for him.

 

[BradC]

What's the penalty for expired inspection stickers? I figure it's cheaper just to pay the fine on the rare occasion that you get pulled over.

With fees and s*** it is $105

 

[Rush]

Hah, I can't remember. It's been several years since that happened to me.
iluvmacs, I thought you were gone from this forum. Don't you have
the OBX header? Is that what you're doing, running an expired sticker? Lol, I'll have tell my Monroeville cop neighbor about you.
As for the small shop idea, that's pretty good, the guy I've been going to for years, I swear he doesn't check anything but the brakes, tires and lights and that's good enough for him.

Exactly. The only thing the dude at the shop I went to was even vaguely worried about was my tint -- cause it IS pretty dark, and completely illegal in PA, heh. But all he wound up sayin' to me was, "If you get pulled over and asked about it, you didn't have that on there when I inspected you." And that's fine with me -- why would I call out a guy that did me a favor?

Just for reference, the dealership that was bad to me was Faulkner on Roosevelt Boulevard. The last straw was them tryin' to tag me into buying an ENTIRE new set of BOTH rotors and brake pads. I knew that there was no way in hell I needed both, so I started askin' the guy questions as to why he thought I did. I asked him what the lowest measurement of the rotors was to pass inspection (y'know, the rotors have to be a certain thickness), and he completely blew off the question -- even tho' I asked him three times. He just kept sayin' I needed all new everything. I finally told him that he chose the wrong little blonde chick to try to pull one over on, that they just lost a customer, and pulled my car. I haven't been back since.

But I have no clue what the fines would be for expired tags .. tho' I dunno, I'd at least try my luck at a small mechanic's shop to see if the car will pass. Never know, and it'd be one less thing to worry about if you DO pass.

 

[Protephile]

But I have no clue what the fines would be for expired tags .. tho' I dunno, I'd at least try my luck at a small mechanic's shop to see if the car will pass. Never know, and it'd be one less thing to worry about if you DO pass.

I think I'm just gonna have to take my chances, then, WTH.
BTW, any little blonde chick that can out-talk a mechanic is
a goddess in my book!

 

[iluvmacs]

You'll pass inspections if you do one of the following:

add a second catalytic convertor behind the header. PA law does not designate the location, just the number of cats required.

swap the header out once a year. This is probably the better idea because it's good to inspect for rust. I found rust on mine near the collector last year. I removed it and painted it. I know it needs it again but I'm going to sandblast it and powdercoat it.

 

[sidpro5]

Did the state finally get everyone on-board with the emissions testing? I know for awhile certain counties had NO emissions test whatsoever, but you had to be registered and insured in that county.

 

[Rush]

Did the state finally get everyone on-board with the emissions testing? I know for awhile certain counties had NO emissions test whatsoever, but you had to be registered and insured in that county.

I'm pretty sure that most, if not all, of the counties in PA now require the emissions testing. Two-ish years ago, Centre county (where I'm registered) didn't require it -- but now they do. Sucks.

 

[djp5]

I have never had to worry about this b/c I haven't done anything to come close to not passing...

But I'm pretty sure all of PA now has an OBD/visual check for newer cars. Years ago in Allegheny/Westmoreland county (and Philly too, I would assume) they used a sniffer, but I haven't seen that used in a while.